What does this mean for Michiganders?
CONTACT: Stacy Leick, 989.600.9928, stacyleick@eamonline.org
NOVI, Mich. – The Economic Alliance of Michigan (EAM) announces that zero hospitals and zero ambulatory surgery centers (ASC) in Michigan received a 2025 national award for excellence in health care quality and safety from The Leapfrog Group today, raising concern for Michiganders and the care they are receiving. Nationally, a total of 156 hospitals were selected as Top Hospitals, including 15 Top Children’s Hospitals, 52 Top General Hospitals, 16 Top Rural Hospitals and 73 Top Teaching Hospitals. A total of 37 ASCs were selected as Top ASCs.
This year marks the first time since the Top Hospital Awards began in 2006 that Michigan did not earn a Top Hospital designation. “The absence of a Michigan Top Hospital this year is deeply concerning. It underscores the urgent need to improve quality and safety for patients across our state,” said President and CEO of EAM, Bret Jackson.
Last month, EAM also announced Michigan’s Fall 2025 Hospital Safety Grades came back as the worst ever recorded, with the state ranking 35th nationally and only 17 of 79 hospitals earning an A grade. Leapfrog estimates 160,000 lives are lost annually from avoidable medical errors, and 50,000 lives could be saved if lower-performing hospitals improved to an A.
Major health systems showed wide variation in performance, including three of four Detroit Medical Center hospitals receiving an “F.”
Below is a graph displaying average trends of Michigan hospital safety grade ratings from 2013-2025. In 2013, the average score across hospitals in the state was 4.05. After reaching a peak in 2021, the average score in 2025 is 3.76, the lowest average score reported.1
Source: https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/
“Michigan’s healthcare system is moving in the wrong direction. Patients and employers continue to pay more for hospital care while seeing a decrease in quality and safety— and that must change. Last month’s hospital safety grades were alarmingly low, and for the first time, no Michigan hospital received an award. As the saying goes ‘There is no good price for bad care’.” added Jackson.
Since 2000, hospital prices have risen by more than 250%, triple the rate of inflation.2 Currently, hospital prices in Michigan for commercial health plans increased from 156% of the Medicare rate in 2017 to 209% of the Medicare rate in 2024.3 These hospitals only need about 111% on average across the state to break even.4
The award honors hospitals and ASCs that demonstrate the highest performance in the nation on quality and patient safety, including ethical billing and informed patient consent procedures, lower infection rates, prevention of medication errors and surgical safety. To see the full methodology and list of institutions honored as 2025 Top Hospitals, please visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2025 Top ASCs, please visit www.leapfroggroup.org/ratings-report/top-ascs.
About The Leapfrog Group
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is an independent national nonprofit organization celebrating 25 years of driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. Leapfrog sets standards for safety and quality and reports to the public through the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey. It is free to participate in the voluntary Surveys and results are publicly reported on Leapfrog’s website. Follow us on Twitter (@TheLeapfrogGroup), Facebook (The Leapfrog Group), LinkedIn (The Leapfrog Group) and Instagram (@TheLeapfrogGroup) and sign up for our newsletter.
Founded in 2000 by large employers and other purchasers, The Leapfrog Group is an independent national nonprofit organization celebrating 25 years of driving a movement for giant leaps for patient safety. Leapfrog sets standards for safety and quality and reports to the public through the Leapfrog Hospital Survey and Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Survey. It is free to participate in the voluntary Surveys and results are publicly reported on Leapfrog’s website. Follow us on Twitter (@TheLeapfrogGroup), Facebook (The Leapfrog Group), LinkedIn (The Leapfrog Group) and Instagram (@TheLeapfrogGroup) and sign up for our newsletter.
About Economic Alliance for Michigan (EAM)
Founded in 1982, the EAM is comprised of businesses and unions working together with one clear objective – continued growth of Michigan’s economy by inspiring job growth and strengthen Michigan’s competitiveness for attracting companies and talent. The EAM seeks to use the collective voice of Michigan’s purchasers to serve as catalysts for change to ensure appropriate access to patient-centric, high-value healthcare and affordable healthcare for all. Learn more about the EAM at www.eamonline.org.
Founded in 1982, the EAM is comprised of businesses and unions working together with one clear objective – continued growth of Michigan’s economy by inspiring job growth and strengthen Michigan’s competitiveness for attracting companies and talent. The EAM seeks to use the collective voice of Michigan’s purchasers to serve as catalysts for change to ensure appropriate access to patient-centric, high-value healthcare and affordable healthcare for all. Learn more about the EAM at www.eamonline.org.
1 https://www.hospitalsafetygrade.org/
2 https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/hospital-price-increases-2000-outpaced-inflation-more-double-baker-institute-report-says
3 https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxae140
4 https://tool.nashp.org/
2 https://www.bakerinstitute.org/research/hospital-price-increases-2000-outpaced-inflation-more-double-baker-institute-report-says
3 https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxae140
4 https://tool.nashp.org/
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